Bridging Differences

In Bridging Differences
Deborah exchanges views with a different colleague, each for a month or two. Currently she is blogging with Joe Nathan, a long time colleague, friend and cothinker from Minnesota, who is still a charter fan! Joe is the director of the Center for School Change. He grew up in Kansas and went on to teach 6th-8h graders and then helped in the starting years of two innovative--one in St Paul and one in Minneapolis, which was probably where we first met.

Before I forget. Connect with Bob Schaeffer or Monty Neill at FairTest for updates on useful articles, data, etc. about testing. That place is amazing. Follow up with donations.

I’m still “high” from three wonderful days at SOS’s gathering in D.C. with wonderful people –morning, noon and night. We managed to even get agreement on some more substantive “planks”–filling out our agenda re schooling in America. We did one on early childhood, on labor unions, civil rights, assessment, etc. Keep in touch with SOS for the details. We agreed on a basic governing structure. We set a few key “targets” for this year–locally and nationally. A march has its values, but this was even better than last year–in terms of making me confident that we can sustain this work. Because there is no quick fix, and the powers against us are awesome. We need long-term distance runners.

What scares me most at the moment is how to sustain the best schools in the cities and locales where the corporatists re most active and where mayoral control is strongest. There are a number of them being strangled of late–sometimes just by placing obstacle after obstacle in front of them and others more drastically shut down. I’ll try to get a list of some of them–and if you know some candidates for such a list , schools that need and want support, let me know.

Deborah, we can win the battle against these corporatists, by making our public schools safe and productive. The underlying and main problem of our schools is the discipline problem. When we solve the discipline problem our schools and local communities will come together to defeat these misguided mayors and corporatists. There is a discipline plan that will solve 95 to 99 percent of our school discipline problem. if you really want to win the battle get in touch with me.